Improvement in fire-shields



T. T. MOORE.

Fire-Shield.

No, 162250, Patented April20,1875.

D BU DU Witnesses.

THEGRAPHIO C0.PHOTO-LITN.39 E41 PARK PLAGE,N-Y.

THOMAS T. MOORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO DAVID E BRADLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-SHIELDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 162,950, dated April 20, 1875; application filed March 25, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it know that I, THoMAs T. MOORE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Shields for Buildings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is the side elevation of a building with my invention attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an end View of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged isometrical view of a portion of my invention, showing the manner of securing the ends of the separate plates one to the other. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the same; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged isometrical view of the same, showing a modification of the means employed to secure the ends of the separate plates one to the other.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

My invention has for its object to provide a portable fire-shield, arranged to admit of being adjusted to the roof and walls of the building, whereby the latter is protected against the intensity of heat from an adja-' cent burning building; and to that end it consists in a series of sheet-metal plates, the ends of which are adapted to interlock each into the other, and so arranged as to admit of being suspended from the ridge and gable of the roof, and extending to a point at or near the ground, forming a shield for the roof and walls of the building adjacent to the fire, as will be more fully understood from the following description and claims.

In the drawing, A represents the building, and B the separate sections of the shield. These sections are constructed of a series of sheet-metal plates, C, of the requisite length and width to admit of being easily handled or adjusted to the building. Each plate is bent at its ends, forming an overhanging lip, a, on opposite sides of the plate, and so arranged as to form a groove or channel across the plate between it and the lip; The sectional area of each groove is slightly greater than the sectional area of the lip on the adjacent plate, by which means the lip is readily introduced into the groove, thus connecting one plate with the other. Each lip is provided with a lug, 6, located in the center of the same, as shown in Fig. 3. This log is formed by bending a portion of the lip outward at a right angle to the plane of the latter, and is so arranged as to pass loosely through a mortise, d, formed in the plate.

This mortise is slightly elongated longitudinally with the plate, by which means the lug is allowed to pass freely through the mortise when the lips are being interlocked or hooked together. The object of the lug is to prevent the plates from being displaced laterally, thereby securing the separate plates of each section in line, one with the other, thus enabling the edges of the sections to be closely fitted together. Permanently attached to one end of one plate in each section are grapplinghooksf f, adapted to pass over the ridge and seize or take into the roof, by which means the plate is secured in position on the root.

In using my invention the several plates constituting the separate sections are each interlocked into the other, and grappled to the roof, covering the entire surface of the roof and wall of the building adjacent to the fire.

In the drawing, Fig. 5, is shown a modification of the means employed to connect the plates, in which case one end of each plate is perforated, as shown at h h, and provided at the opposite end with hooks n 12, adapted to take into the perforations, as shown at Gr, connecting one plate to the other.

The advantages of my invention are several: First, it provides, a cheap and reliable fire-shield, which is readily adjusted to the building when necessary to cover the entire surface of the same; secondly, by making the same in sections it is readily adjusted to the wall of the building so as to cover the windows, for the purpose of protecting the glass, when only such is needed, and is more easily handled.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The portable fireshield, consistingof the plates C, interlocked one into the other,

and suspended from the building, as speci- The above specification of my invention fiecl. signed by me this 16th day of March 1875.

2. In combination with the lip a of the plate, the lug 6, adapted to pass through mor- THOMAS T. MOORE. tise d in the plate, whereby the several plates Witnesses: are secured in line one with the other, later- J. T. W'HIPPLE,

ally, as specified. DAVID E. BRADLEY. 

